Jameson’s New Whiskey Is Finished in IPA Barrels

If the combination of whiskey and beer conjures up hazy memories of freshman year than its likely you had a bad boilermakers. Now, it’s time to give the dynamic duo another chance because when mixed the right way, these two powerhouses can make for a beautiful pairing.

Jameson understands this better than just about any other major liquor brand. Two years ago, the Irish distiller’s head of whiskey science, Dave Quinn, and the head brewer at a local brewery, Shane Long, teamed up to create Jameson Caskmates, a whiskey finished in stout-seasoned casks. The result–with strong notes of cocoa and coffee–tastes unmistakably like a stout. Mission accomplished.

So it’s no surprise that the same mad scientists are back at it again with Caskmates IPA Edition. Since we live in the golden age of hops, Jameson’s newest offering contains heavy elements of a craft IPA. This time around, Franciscan Well Brewery borrowed oak barrels from Jameson’s Midleton distillery and filled them with its zesty Irish pale ale. Once the IPA lent its crisp, citrus notes to the barrels, the brewery sent them back to Jameson, where distillers poured whiskey inside and let the beer work its magic.

The final product boasts a floral, citrusy nose, a hoppy and herbal taste, and Jameson’s trademark triple-distilled, impossibly smooth finish. You’ll wonder why it took this long to exist—and you’ll wish you could tell 19-year-old you to hang in there after one too many beer-and-whiskey shots gone wrong.